


Minted Kisses

by AidansQueen



Series: The Hound And The Little Bird [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 11:17:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AidansQueen/pseuds/AidansQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a game in Highgarden, Alasaynne Tyrell had told her. You blindfolded the person of your choosing and gave them a minted kiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Minted Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything or make any money from any of it, all of it belongs to those who created Game Of Thrones.
> 
> A/N: Sansa is aged up in this short one-shot, she is eighteen.
> 
> So this one-shot happened when I was reading one of Sansa's POV's with Sandor in Clash of Kings and I was eating chocolate mints and the idea just popped into my head. I might make another one to go along with this, but I have to decide what that will be.

It was a bright crisp morning the day they rode out with Joffrey into the meadow beyond the castle walls. He took a large party with him on a whim, yearning to hunt and ride with men while the women sat about in the meadow partaking of food and wine. Sansa rode with earnest alongside strangers, though she was pleased to be included nonetheless. Her chestnut mare trotted happily, free of the bailey at last. It had been so long since she could ride out in the open, and though she had distaste for riding in general today she longed for it. She had been such a trapped little bird, caught in her cage and circling restlessly until Joffrey decided to let her out for a while.

               When Joffrey and a group of his men had departed from the rest of the party to go hunt in the Kingswood, Sansa urged her mare forward and galloped across the meadow. A smile curved her lips upward in what felt like the first time in ages, the wind blowing in her auburn curls as she circled around back towards the group. The Queen noted this much to her dismay, and realized that she had forgotten her courtesies. A lady had no business galloping on horseback across meadows, and she knew she’d be reprimanded for such willful behavior. When she approached the queen waved her over, Sansa dropping gracefully from her mare as an attendant took the horse to the side with the others.

“Your grace,” she bowed politely, schooling her face carefully.

“Little dove,” Cercei began softly, “you shouldn’t be galloping across meadows as such, least you fall from your horse and injure yourself. I shan’t see you behave in such a way again will I?”

“No your grace,” Sansa said with a gentle bow of her head, “forgive me.”

“Oh course little dove,” Cercei said with a smile that did not reach her eyes, “Go and sit with the other ladies.”

The course of the day was mundane after that. She sat with the other women and ate cheese and drank wine, discussing dull things that had nothing to do with anything Sansa had any knowledge about. Most of them were older women, married with children of their own and Sansa was not more than ten and eight years.  Alasaynne Tyrell sat among them, a beautiful young woman who was a cousin to Margerey Tyrell. She noted Sansa’s silence and titled her head in her direction, following Sansa’s gaze to a couple in the distance sharing a kiss. The woman wore a cloth over her eyes, while the man gently kissed her.

“What are they doing?” Sansa said with a soft frown curving her lips.

“They’re sharing a minted kiss,” Alasaynne provided with ease.

“A what?” Sansa frowned at her.

“It’s called a minted kiss,” Alasaynne laughed lightly, the sound like tiny bells ringing through the air. Her dark curls caught the sunlight as she spoke, soft and supple. “It’s a game back in Highgarden,” she told Sansa with a smile, “The game is that you take a blindfold and a mint. You sneak up on the person of your choosing and cover their eyes with the blindfold. They mustn’t know it’s you, if they discover you you’ll have to find another partner. Once you’ve blindfolded the person of your choosing you place the mint in your mouth and kiss them, passing the mint to them as you do so.”

Sansa watched in curiosity as others took part as well, a man sneaking up on a woman, her squeal of delight as he blindfolds her and kisses her gently. A woman walks up behind a man and blindfolds him, he spins around and into her arms, their lips touching gently as tongues slide against one another and the mint is passed between them.

Highgarden appeared to be quiet a wanton place, should she ever go there. She watched for a while, until her eyes drifted across the crowd in search of others who played the game as well. When her eyes fell on a figure near the tree line, a man in grey mail armor and dark as night hair she paused. Her gaze settled on him heavily, and for the first time Sansa really looked at him. He was tall and densely muscled; _burly_ could even describe him though he was quite trim. His long black hair hung lankly about his shoulders, most of it combed over to shield the horrible burns on one side of his face.  It wasn’t until his steel grey eyes met hers that she realized she was staring, and she looked away quickly, her face and neck flushing a brilliant shade of red.

“Take a blindfold and a mint,” Alasaynne urged her quietly, obviously having noticed the way she stared at Sandor Clegane.

“ _No_ ,” Sansa blushed even deeper, blinking rapidly as she trained her gaze on the grass at her feet, “I could _never_ …”

“Yes,” Alasaynne said as she wrinkled her nose and glanced towards Clegane, “I suppose that would be difficult to kiss.”

Sansa breathed inwardly a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was for people to think she wanted to kiss Sandor Clegane. If they thought that it might spread rumors, which could both put her in a humiliating position and also put him in danger. He had helped her several times, and she owed him at least enough not to put his life in danger. If Joffrey ever caught wind of such a concept he would drag them both before the court and publically humiliate them, if not have Clegane beheaded in front of her.

               When the daylight began to wane and Joffrey returned, the party gathered their things and all rode back to the castle together. During the ride Alasaynne rode in front of her, sharing a kiss with a man beside her on horseback. She giggled as she leaned to her right, sliding her tongue into his mouth despite him being without blindfold. The mint passed between them and she smiled brightly at him as they parted, before glancing back at Sansa with mirth in her eyes.  Sansa tried not to notice, tried to pretend indifference but the blush creeping up her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.

               When Clegane passed by on horseback she noticed his steely gaze upon her and she tried to ignore him as he passed. The images passed unbidden behind her eyes as she gazed at his back, to imagine walking up behind him and standing on her tip toes, tying the blind gently over his eyes. He would startle at first, prepare for an attack when there wasn’t any and once he felt her soft hand on his arm he’d freeze in place like a wild animal trapped in a corner. She step around in front of him placing the mint in her mouth and reach up, stretching her hands out to couch his face between her palms, warm and soft against his skin. The scars on his face would feel rough like leather beneath her palms but she wouldn’t mind, as she pulled him down gently and lightly pressed her lips to his, waiting with baited breath for him decide whether he will kiss her back or toss her aside. Then his tongue would slide into her mouth and she would yield to him, her body sliding up against his as if molded there, made to fit against one another…

“Sansa?” Alasaynne repeated gently, trying to get the younger woman’s attention.

“Yes?” Sansa cleared her throat, pulled from her daydreams.

“I asked if you’d like to attend me at lunch tomorrow?” Alasaynne asked politely.

“Oh yes, of course Lady Tyrell,” Sansa smiled politely with a bow of her head.

               Once they reached the castle they dismounted and departed for their respective rooms, Sansa sweeping off down a long stone corridor towards Maegors holdfast. It was in the darkness of these corridors that Sansa shivered from the cold, disliking the coolness and quiet of the walkway. She walked quicker, hurrying towards the drawbridge that would lead to the holdfast. They had told stories about this corridor, the women from the party. They had said in hushed whispers after several glasses of wine during grand feasts that Joffrey held upon whim, that the corridor was haunted. That Rhaegar Targaryen himself haunted this corridor and that he walked these halls searching for his lost love Lyanna Stark.

               This had terrified Sansa at first, but she realized that Rhaegar had died on the Trident and Lyanna in bed back in Winterfell. Feeling like a fool she ignored their laughter and their hushed whispers after that. Now she wasn’t so sure, hearing the wind whistle through the walls as she walked. It almost sounded like moaning, her heart beginning to beat a quick pace in her chest. As she rounded a corner she let out a surprised gasp, never having heard footsteps behind her. Material covers her eyes and at first she thinks she is being kidnapped. Her first instinct is to flail and fight, to cry out for help but when she is gently turned around, pressed into the dark alcove beside her as a hand catches her chin and tips it upward she stills. Warm breath fans across her face and smells of wine and mint, rough lips pressing down upon her own. She realizes the roughness she feels is scar tissue, and the tongue sliding across her lips belonged to Sandor Clegane. Her heart slams in her chest and she tentatively gives him access, unsure of what to do.

               She has never been kissed before, has never kissed a man either. She mimics his actions, slides her tongue curiously along his and realizes that he tastes like mint too, and she almost giggles in relief into his mouth as the mint slides from his tongue to hers. His hands rest on her hips as she leans into him, he felt warm and inviting despite the mail pressing against her chest. He was so tall she had to crane her neck back to kiss him, was certain he had to dip down to meet her lips as well. She molded so perfectly to him, just like she’d imagined.

Then he was gone.

Like he’d never been there at all and she stood alone in the corridor listening to the sound of his retreating footsteps and the approach of someone else as she pulled the blindfold from over her eyes. When she looks around he is gone already and Ser Meryn is walking across the drawbridge.

“Lady,” he says politely, “it’s getting dark, you should get inside.”

“Yes of course Ser,” she says with a gentle nod and hurries past him, afraid he might harm her if she disobeyed.

               When she reaches her room she gazes down at the soft white material in her hands and wonders quietly. Surely it had to have been him? Though many of the men in the castle had scars on their faces as well and perhaps she was simply overthinking this? Maybe it hadn’t been Clegane at all? After a while she puts it away, stripping down to her small clothes before going to bed. The next morning she attends court, choosing to wear a deep blue gown with gold embroidery. Her auburn curls are pinned up neatly, swaying in the warm gentle breeze as she enters the throne room. Sandor Clegane stands behind the throne, his expression passive as Joffrey conducts his court.

               When all is finished and the court is dismissed she spies Clegane as he departs, his gaze never so much as shifting in her direction as he follows Joffrey out of the throne room. He looked handsome in his kingsguard armor, his white cloak swaying as he walked. It was then she noticed it, the bottom left corner of his cloak was torn roughly, as if someone had ripped off a piece in haste. Sansa has to hide the secret smile threatening to burst across her lips, wants to giggle at the thought of him ripping a piece of his cloak off just so he could kiss her. She wonders when she decided that she wanted him to kiss her; wonders how she had never noticed how handsome he was before she’d decided to really look at him that day in the meadow.

               The rest of the day she hides the smile, but when she catches him watching her she can’t help but smile up at him before turning away shyly, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she makes her way to the garden to meet Alasaynne Tyrell for lunch.

              

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
